Expedia Invests $9.5m in Hospitality Platform ALICE
Jennifer Billock January 20, 2016
Expedia has invested $9.5 million into a new hotel app, ALICE, designed to improve communication at individual properties.
Back in December, Expedia announced a partnership with a new app called ALICE. The new technology bills itself as “the first hotel service management tool that handles all your front of house, back of house, and guest communication needs in one platform.”
Expedia’s investment tallies up to a total of $9.5 million. The app works by interfacing guests and hotel staff together in one location, so guests can easily communicate with employees and employees can more efficiently respond to requests. ALICE will also allow hotels to keep guest preferences on file and enable pre-stay text messaging with upcoming guests so the hotel can prepare their room to the exact specifications requested by the traveler.
One hundred or so hotels are already using the app, and nearly all of them are current Expedia partners. Co-founder and president of ALICE, Alexander Shashou, told Skift that the investment will allow the app to leverage Expedia’s extensive database, but did not explain how or go into more detail about the partnership.
It appears that ALICE has plans to branch out to more than just the hotel industry, too.
“Our challenge is how do you simplify letting guests choose how they communicate with hotel staff but at the same time bringing that all to the same back-end,” Shashou told Skift. “The bounds of hospitality have changed. This platform has the ability to transcend hotels and [ALICE] is working heavily with residential units and work spaces as well.”
[Photo: Facebook]
